Rare Two-Player Version Of First Arcade Game Up For Auction From Shiny Entertainment Founder

The Ultimate Arcade Artifact: David Perry’s Ultra-Rare Two-Player Computer Space Cabinet Up for Grabs

In the history of interactive entertainment, few objects hold as much legendary status as Computer Space. Released in 1971, this groundbreaking machine is widely recognized as the world's very first commercially sold, coin-operated video game. It predated the smash hit Pong, birthed the commercial arcade industry, and introduced the general public to the concept of controlling digital images on a television screen.

For classic video game collectors and historians, finding a working Computer Space cabinet is like finding a holy relic. But finding a fully functional, ultra-rare two-player version is almost unheard of. Now, one of the most famous and pristine two-player units in existence—belonging to gaming industry legend David Perry—is up for sale. This is a rare chance to own a genuine piece of tech history that paved the way for today's multi-billion-dollar video game industry.

What is Computer Space?

To understand why this machine is so important, we have to travel back to the late 1960s and early 1970s. At the time, computers were massive, expensive machines found only in universities, military installations, and large corporations. Games did exist, but they were limited to research labs.

The most famous of these early games was Spacewar!, created in 1962 by Steve Russell and a team of programmers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Running on a PDP-1 computer that cost around $120,000 at the time, Spacewar! was a marvel. It featured two spaceship players firing missiles at each other while dodging the gravitational pull of a central star.

Two visionary engineers, Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney, saw this game and had a wild idea. They believed that if they could package this game into a coin-operated cabinet, people in bars, bowling alleys, and university campuses would gladly pay money to play it. This idea led them to form a partnership called Syzygy Engineering, which would later evolve into the iconic company Atari.

Since microprocessors were too expensive and slow in 1971, Bushnell and Dabney could not use a traditional computer to run the game. Instead, they built a custom hardware system using Transistor-Transistor Logic (TTL) circuits. This meant the entire game was hardwired using dozens of silicon chips on a large circuit board. It was a masterpiece of analog and digital engineering that bypassed the need for an expensive computer processor.

Nutting Associates and the Leap to the Public

To manufacture and distribute their new creation, Bushnell and Dabney partnered with Nutting Associates, a company already established in the coin-operated amusement market. Nutting bought the rights to the game, named it Computer Space, and began production in late 1971.

The machine was targeted at casual venues, but it faced immediate hurdles. In 1971, the public had never seen a video game. Most people did not understand how to interact with a television screen. Despite these challenges, Nutting manufactured roughly 1,500 single-player units. While it was not a runaway mainstream success, it sold well enough to prove that video games could be a viable commercial business.

Who is David Perry?

The unit currently generating excitement in the collector community comes from the private collection of David Perry. If you are a fan of classic 16-bit gaming, you definitely know his work. Perry is a veteran game designer and programmer who founded Shiny Entertainment.

He is the creative mind behind legendary hit games such as:

• Earthworm Jim
• Disney's Aladdin (Sega Genesis version)
• MDK
• The Matrix: Path of Neo

Beyond his work as a developer, Perry is a passionate preservationist of video game history. Over several decades, he curated a world-class collection of vintage arcade machines. He kept his machines in climate-controlled environments and had them serviced by professional technicians to ensure they remained in mint, playable condition. His personal two-player Computer Space unit is widely considered one of the crowns of his entire collection.

The Rarity of the Two-Player Unit

While the single-player version of Computer Space is already extremely rare, the two-player model is on a completely different level of scarcity. Released in 1973, the two-player version was Nutting Associates' attempt to keep the franchise alive and compete with the rising popularity of Atari's new multiplayer hit, Pong.

Historians estimate that Nutting Associates manufactured only a tiny fraction of two-player units compared to the single-player run. Some experts believe only a few hundred were ever built, and only a handful have survived to this day in working condition. Finding one today is a once-in-a-decade event for serious collectors.

The two-player unit features several key differences from the original:

• Expanded Controls: The control panel is wider and features two distinct control setups so players can compete head-to-head.
• Upgraded Gameplay Modes: Players can choose to fight against each other or team up to battle the computer-controlled flying saucers.
• Redesigned Circuitry: The logic boards inside the machine were redesigned to handle two separate inputs and render two player-controlled ships on screen at once.

How the Game is Played

For those used to modern games with realistic physics and hundreds of buttons, Computer Space is a masterclass in elegant, simple design. The game screen displays a starry background, your rocket ship, and two enemy flying saucers that move across the screen firing missiles.

The game features realistic zero-gravity momentum. If you press the "Thrust" button, your ship accelerates forward. When you release the button, your ship does not stop; it keeps drifting in that direction until you apply thrust in the opposite direction. Controlling the ship requires careful timing and spatial awareness.

The controls on the original single-player version consisted of four buttons:

1. Rotate Left: Turns your ship counter-clockwise.
2. Rotate Right: Turns your ship clockwise.
3. Thrust: Fires your rocket booster to move forward.
4. Fire: Launches a missile in the direction your ship is facing.

Your goal is to score more hits against the flying saucers than they score against you within a 99-second time limit. If you succeed, the game rewards you with "Hyperspace" mode. In Hyperspace, the screen colors invert, and you get to keep playing for another round free of charge. If the saucers beat you, the game ends immediately.

A Futuristic Cabinet Design Like No Other

Even if you have never played the game, you might recognize its incredible physical cabinet. Nolan Bushnell designed the cabinet himself, and it is a work of industrial art. Instead of building a standard wooden box like modern arcade cabinets, Bushnell chose to manufacture the shell using molded fiberglass.

The result was a curvy, fluid design that looked like a prop from a high-budget science fiction film. The cabinet curves outward at the top to house the television screen and tapers down to a narrow base. To make it stand out even more in dark bars and arcades, the fiberglass was mixed with metallic glitter flakes that shimmered under lighting.

The cabinets were produced in several eye-catching colors, including:

• Metallic Blue
• Metallic Red
• Metallic Gold/Yellow
• Metallic Green

David Perry’s two-player cabinet features the stunning, vibrant green glitter finish. This color is highly sought-after because of how beautifully it reflects the light and how well it captures the 1970s space-age design aesthetic. The cabinet was so futuristic that it was used as a background prop in the iconic 1973 sci-fi movie Soylent Green, starring Charlton Heston.

Why Computer Space Was a "Brilliant Failure"

Historically, Computer Space is often described as a "brilliant failure." While it was a triumph of engineering and design, it did not capture the public's imagination quite the way its creators hoped. The reason for this comes down to human psychology and simplicity.

In 1971, the average person had never played a video game. Walking up to a machine and having to master zero-gravity physics, ship rotation, thrust management, and firing mechanics was too difficult for casual players—especially patrons in dark, noisy bars who had a drink in one hand.

Nolan Bushnell paid close attention to this feedback. He realized that for a video game to be successful in a public space, it had to be simple enough that a player could understand it in five seconds without reading any instructions. This realization led him and Ted Dabney to hire engineer Al Alcorn to build a simple electronic table tennis game.

That game was Pong. Released in late 1972, Pong had only one control (a dial to move your paddle up and down) and instructions so simple they could be written in one line: "Avoid missing ball for high score." Pong became an overnight sensation, launching Atari into a global household name and starting the arcade golden age.

Without the lessons learned from the complex design of Computer Space, the simple genius of Pong might never have happened. This makes Computer Space the essential starting point for everything that followed.

Inside David Perry’s Green Two-Player Unit

For collectors, the value of an arcade cabinet depends heavily on its condition, originality, and functionality. David Perry’s unit stands out as one of the finest surviving examples in the world. Here are some of the key features of this specific unit:

Pristine Cabinet Condition: Molded fiberglass is notoriously fragile. Over fifty years, many Computer Space cabinets suffered cracks, chips, and fading from sunlight and heavy use in arcades. Perry's unit has been meticulously preserved, keeping its deep green glitter paint vibrant and its curves smooth and undamaged.

Original Internal Components: The internal electronics of this unit are highly original. This includes the complex, non-CPU logic board and the original black-and-white General Electric television set that serves as the display monitor.

Fully Operational: Unlike many museum pieces that are only on display, this unit is fully functional. Both player control panels work perfectly, allowing you to experience the tension of head-to-head space combat exactly as players did in 1973.

Documented Pedigree: Owning a machine from the collection of a major industry figure like David Perry adds massive historical value. The machine has been documented, photographed, and celebrated within the gaming community for years.

The Logistics of Owning and Maintaining Vintage Arcades

Owning a piece of 50-year-old electronics is a rewarding experience, but it also comes with responsibilities. For the future owner of this Computer Space unit, proper care and maintenance will be key to preserving its value.

First, early arcade monitors use Cathode Ray Tubes (CRTs), which run on high-voltage electricity. These monitors require specialized knowledge to service safely. Over time, the capacitors on the chassis can dry out and need to be replaced—a process collectors call "re-capping."

Second, the fiberglass cabinet must be kept away from direct sunlight, which can cause the glitter resin to fade or discolor. It should be kept in a climate-controlled room with stable temperature and humidity to prevent the metal chassis inside from rusting and to stop the circuit boards from warping.

Finally, transporting a fiberglass cabinet requires extreme care. Unlike wooden cabinets, fiberglass can crack if subjected to sudden impacts. Specialized moving techniques and custom crates are highly recommended when shipping a historic artifact of this scale.

An Investment-Grade Piece of Modern History

In recent years, the market for vintage video games and arcade machines has skyrocketed. High-grade copies of classic games and rare arcade cabinets are now treated with the same respect—and high price tags—as classic cars and fine art. Major art auction houses now regularly feature vintage technology and video game auctions.

As the first commercial arcade machine, Computer Space sits at the very top of this market. It is a monument to human ingenuity, industrial design, and the birth of a new medium. To purchase a standard single-player unit is a dream for most collectors; to acquire David Perry's personal, fully functional two-player green glitter unit is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Whether this machine ends up in a high-profile public museum like The Strong National Museum of Play or in the private showroom of a dedicated collector, it will continue to be celebrated as the physical spark that ignited the digital revolution.

Summary of the Legacy

From its roots in the university mainframe culture of the 1960s to the glitzy barrooms of 1971, Computer Space represents the first bold step of video games into our lives. It was daring, beautiful, and ahead of its time. David Perry’s offering of this two-player masterpiece is a powerful reminder of how far the medium has come—and why preserving these early artifacts is so vital for future generations.

from Kotaku
-via DynaSage